Five Tips to Make School Mornings Easier

I just love waking up my two children and preparing them ready for school in the morning, Said No Parent Ever. This includes me.

I certainly do not enjoy the tasks of helping my seven-year-old and two-year-old awaken, eat, dress, groom (and not have four meltdowns) in a timely manner so we can exit the door five days per week. Yet I have learned some important tricks over time to making our morning routines be much smoother.

Here are my methods – they have been a blessing for our family:

1. Wake up early
2. Be ready before helping your kids be ready
3. Set the mood with good music
4. Give your children foods they like
5. Be flexible, cheerful and silly
   (*three bonus tips also included below)

1. Get Your Butt Outta Bed Earlier

I know, I know. You do NOT want to hit that snooze button any earlier than you already do. This one is the hardest task, believe me, I understand that. Trust me though, if you can move your butt out of bed sooner and give yourself more time, the whole day will be better.

If you are truly not a morning person, then start small. Begin by setting that alarm five minutes earlier. Then try ten and fifteen minute increments. Practice it until it becomes a habit. Have a partner, spouse or friend hold you accountable. Do it for 3 weeks. After that, waking up should be a more manageable task.

The point is to allow more time. When you don’t have to rush around, then you’re calmer and not rushing your kids.   Mornings can actually be fun. Read on and I’ll tell you how.

2. Prepare yourself before Preparing your Kids

If mom and dad are ready then they can help the rest of the crew be ready. This notion seems simple, right? However, if you’re taking a shower while your kid needs help brushing teeth or putting on socks, then you are both frustrated. The tasks will take twice as long.

I wake up over an hour before I have to start prepping my kids for the day. That’s insane, you may be thinking. Sure it is, at first. But once you fall into that habit (see tip # 1), then you will love that quiet time to yourself when all you have to focus on is you, not two little people who are grumpy and don’t want to cooperate.

Here’s how I prepare myself physically and mentally for the day. This is a time table breakdown of how a typical morning goes for me:

4:30 a.m. – The alarm goes off. I wake up.
4:35 – 4:45 – I actually move around, splash water on my face and prepare coffee
4:45 – 5:30 – I drink my coffee. Then I exercise or read or do something just for me that makes me happy.  Following that, my husband and I have breakfast together before he leaves for work.
5:30 – 6:00 – I take a shower, dress and groom myself.
6:00 – 6:10 – I warm up breakfast for kids and have it ready for them at the table
6:15 – I wake up the kids and focus on them for the next hour
6:15 – 7:10 – I supervise or help the children with eating, dressing, brushing teeth and preparing themselves
By 7:10 we are in the van leaving for school and day care drop off.
I am at my job for 8:00 a.m.

By preparing myself first, I am then able to focus on my two children.  I sit beside them, talk to them and help them be more cheerful about the day (see tip #5).

3. Set the Mood with Music for a Good Morning

Many children just aren’t morning people. Many adults are not either. To help everyone be in a better mood, put on music that everyone can enjoy. I have two girls; therefore the musical requests are usually Disney Princess songs or Taylor Swift.  We mix it up with other artists too – from Elvis to Beethoven to Green Day.

While my daughters eat breakfast, I always have tunes playing. Soon their tired, crusty eyes start opening wider. I look over at them and see the feet begin to tap. Often they step out of their chairs to dance while they take bites. My girls will sing along to the songs they know and love best.

After a few minutes, they forget how tired and grouchy they were when I woke them up. Now they’re moving, grooving and looking forward to the day. I use this opportunity to bust a move and get jiggy with it too (see tip # 5 about being silly).

4. Give Your Children Foods They Like

If you don’t want to battle over breakfast on school days, then you should give your kids the foods they like and will eat. Now this does not mean giving into sugary cereals or pop-tarts each day. It does, however, mean planning ahead and keeping healthy foods on hand.

Typically my kids eat pancakes three times per week. That is their favorite breakfast food. However, I make the pancakes myself from scratch.  I know exactly what ingredients go into them and I serve them with all natural maple syrup. On weekends, I will make a big batch of pancakes or a huge one-skillet cake. Then I reheat and serve to them for the first part of the week. We are both happy.  I know they are eating my cleaner version and they just think they’re eating sweet, fluffy goodness.

Other breakfast options for them are eggs once a week or yogurt with fruit. My kids are only allowed cereal one day per week. We don’t even keep pop-tarts and other processed foods in our house. Cereal day is my children’s favorite day of the school-week. It’s also the fastest time when I see them climb out of bed. So if you’re running a bit behind and feeling sluggish, then choose that day to give your kids cereal (or whatever their favorite breakfast food may be).   The rest of the week, give them healthy foods they like that you can feel good about serving.

(Pictured above are my kids at breakfast, 6:20 a.m.
They are actually smiling and happy.  Why? I have
music on that they like and I’ve given them foods
they like too (Tip # 3 & 4).

5. Be Flexible, Cheerful and Silly

If the parent is not in a good mood, then chances are the kids will not be either. That’s why I like to wake up early (tip # 1) and have myself ready (tip # 2) so that increases my chances of being at my best.   Learn to be flexible, cheerful and silly in the mornings with your children. If you can’t be all three, then just choose one. As you show off a single trait, the rest will soon follow.

Be flexible. Some mornings just happen more easily than others. Other days, your toddler will take a poop right before you are walking out the door or your first grader will lose her homework. If you allowed more time to begin with (tip # 1), then you won’t result to yelling or having your own meltdown.

Be cheerful. Remind yourself that you woke up. That is a blessing. You are alive and well and have the whole day ahead. Find a way to feel happy and grateful. Then set that tone for your children too.

Be silly. When you have that music playing (tip # 3), let loose a little. Sing along. Dance. Shake your booty if you dare. As you walk to the breakfast table, crawl around on all fours like an animal.  Make goofy sounds or play a game while getting ready.  Cause your children to laugh. Let me them know that even mornings can be fun if they are open to it.

I have a few Bonus Tips below too.  These are suggestions to make the morning easier but these should be performed the night prior:

Bonus Tips:

– Let your child pick out clothing to wear (if school uniforms are not required) and lay it out.
– Put coats, shoes, backpack and school books near the door so you can grab them and put them on lastly but quickly without searching.
– Keep a bag of extra items in the car at all times.  In this bag parents should have additional items of whatever mom, dad and child may need – bottles, diapers, sippy cups, extra clothing for you and them, a note pad and pencil, books, crayons, etc.  You never know when you will need to reach into that stash!  A week ago I left my daughter’s sippy cup at home but found one in my extra stash bag. Without it, I would have had to drive home or buy a new one at a local store.  Therefore, I was so happy that I had prepared for my forgetfulness!

These above tips have worked well for my family. I hope they’ll help you think about what might best serve your kids.

Now if you are past the small children phase – if you have teenagers or a spouse who can’t climb out of bed… well I’m sorry! I’m not at that stage yet. These tactics may not work for them. If my above tips are too mellow, then let me suggest the following: a blow horn, a garden hose filled with water and a chalkboard to run your fingernails down. That may get them moving (or perhaps wetting the bed). Good luck!

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I have other helpful stories on parenting and family life.  Let me know if you’d like to see my advice on:
– Creating a School-Friendly Zone at Home
– Creating your own Summer Reading Program for Kids
– Playing Local Tourist on a Family Budget
– and much more!